The Portland daily press., 1887-05-09
CLARK ON TRIAL.
The WIscasset Murder Case Opened
for the Government.

! WIscASsET, May THE trial Of William
I'll. Clark for the murder OF Wilson B
Groves, his daughters husband, whom b,
shot while trying to get into his house ON tn,
night of February II, was begun in the Su
preme Court at Wiscasset, Friday. County
Attorney Castner opened the case for tn,
government, and was followed by Judge
Gilbert of Bath and r. X. Sewall Of Wis
casset Messrs. Hilton & Houston conduct
ed the defence, assisted by L. M. Staples and
| r. Partridge.
The first witness was DR.. Sidney B. Cush
man, physician of Wiscasset. He was
called tu see Groves at Clark house after
the shooting. He found a bullet hole il
Groves's abdomen little below the navel
Groves said in reply to question as to how
the :affair happened, "Ask Clark, he can
tell" Groves died the 10th day of February
and post mortem revealed that the ball had
pierced the intestines and lodged in the back
bone. When he first saw Groves after the
shooting the latter was under the influence
of liquor.
Eugene Bailey, a resident of Wiscasset
testified that seven years before the tragedy
was clear of Groves, and that if Groves did
not keep away he,would shoot him. Bailey
is second cousin of the murdered man.
r. X. Sewall of Wiscasset testified that in
the course Of conversation with him in
1888 Clark said; "If Groves does not keep
away, will shoot him." Mr.. Sewall said in
answer to defendants counsel, that he was
employed by Groves's father to aid in pre-
pairing the trial.
John Greenlief testified to the purchase by
Clark of certain kind Of ammunition and
hearing him say when he was buying that if
the law didn't protect him he would protect
himself.
Joseph Nutter had heard Clark say that he
had just as lief go to State prison as not
and would shoot Groves as quick as skunk
Mrs. Louisa E. Clues went to Groves's
house the day after he was shot and staid
there until ne died. The day before he died
he called her to his bedside and said, go
over and tell Mary that hold no hard feel
ings against her, and tell her to come over !;
If she is ashamed to come in the day time,
come in the evening. Capt Clark threatened
to shoot me, but did not think he would.
Clark knew it was me. l went to see my
wife. She knew was coming. Capt. Clark
came near fixing me seven years ago."
Chas. E. Emerson testified that after the
shooting he had an interview with Clark, in
which the latter said that Mary came to him,
saying some one was breaking into the din
ing room. 81 did not know who it was, but
had some idea-not directly
The prisoner, .unmoved. sits inside the rail
with his counsel. His head is large, with a
square forehead, deeply furrowed.
His daughter, Mrs. Groves, the woman in
the case," has thick lips, prominent cheek
bones and defiant black eyes. She makes
good witness; clear, concise and to the point,
even on the question concerning her marital
relations with Groves after the divorce. 1t
was thought she would deny all intercourse
with her husband after the divorce, and it
created a ripple of surprise when she ad-
mitted having clandestinely met him 'be-
hind the barn" on several occasions.
The government aimed to show that Clark
used threatening language towards Groves
repeatedly, and that he was of a violent
temperament. A number of witnesses testi-
fed to hearing him curse Groves in unmeas-
ured terms.
William G. Baker, youth who went home
with Clark's granddaughter and sat on the
steps with her, testified that Clark 'went
cunning for him" with revolver, thinking
that he was Groves, and apologizing on find
ing his mistake.
Thus far the defense has aimed to show
that Clark leased the farm, supported the
family, aud, being in fear of his life, was
justified in shooting Groves.
The government claims that Clark did not
own the farm, and Groves helped support
the family. On this ground they claim that
it was not his premises, and therefore he
had no right to shoot an intruder The gov
ernment claims that Clark in malice loaded
his revolver for the purpose of shooting
Groves, and that he knew at whom he fired.